Soothsayer
by FrivolousFlare
Summary: '"I've made you better people! You have lost the ability to lie!" "Well, this is bad," said Chat Noir bluntly.' Another day, another akuma attack. Only this time, Ladybug and Chat Noir are forced into a situation where one wrong move could reveal their secret identities. But there are other truths under the surface, threatening to bubble over. One sided Ladynoir & Ladrien. Oneshot.


**This is a quick lil' one shot. I was going to put this as humour/romance, but then it started going into hurt/comfort territory… so yeah.**

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SOOTHSAYER

"This city is filled with filthy, lying vermin. Never again! Never again will anyone lie to me! Or to anyone!" cackled the latest villain to appear on the streets of Paris. Her dress was long and white, a blue-silver belt hung loosely on her hips, and her hair was a cascade of water down her back. Around her neck hung a silver locket, shaped like a heart, which gleamed in the late afternoon light.

Ladybug was first on the scene, having heard the commotion from her bedroom. She swung up onto the nearest roof and peered down at the scene. The villain – who had proclaimed herself to be 'Soothsayer' - was standing on top of her car, turning her head this way and that as if trying to stare at every single person on the street. People were backing away cautiously, but no one was running quite yet. Nothing had been destroyed, no one hurt. Just what was this villain trying to do?

"Sorry I'm late, m'lady." Chat Noir flashed her a grin as he dropped down next to her. "What have I missed?"

"Nothing yet," Ladybug replied. "She's just standing there yelling. Something about people never lying again."

"Huh. Any idea where the akuma is?"

"Not sure yet. Maybe the locket, but that'll be difficult to get to."

Chat Noir extended his baton. "Then we'll have to get closer." With a quick salute, he stepped nonchalantly off the building. Moments later he was flying towards Soothsayer, foot-first. Then he seemed to freeze in mid air and dropped harmlessly to the ground.

Ladybug gasped and quickly leapt down after him, praying he wasn't hurt. "Chat!"

"Ladybug, wait! Don't get too close!" he tried to warn her, but it was too late. As Ladybug approached, Soothsayer suddenly looked up at her and locked eyes.

Soothsayer's eyes were a bright shade of silver, like the moon glittering on the surface of a lake. Ladybug felt something like cold water drenching her from the inside and she, too, fell uselessly. Chat hurried to help her up.

"Did you look at her?"

"Yes," she replied automatically. "What does she do?"

"I've made you better people!" shrieked Soothsayer. "You have lost the ability to lie!"

"Well, this is bad," said Chat Noir bluntly.

"Not only that," Soothsayer continued, "But you are compelled to answer all questions asked! Shall we try? What's your favourite colour?"

Chat Noir grimaced and pressed his lips together. However, as the seconds dragged by his body began convulsing, as if something was trying to force its way out. "B-b-blue!" he blurted out then slapped his hand to his mouth, horrified.

Soothsayer laughed and turned to Ladybug. "And you. What's your wors-"

Ladybug jammed her hands over her ears and began yelling, "LA LA LA LA LA – CHAT, WE SHOULD GET AWAY FROM HERE – LA LA LA!"

"Understood, m'lady!"

They ran, singing loudly lest they hear any more questions from Soothsayer that they'd be forced to answer. They didn't stop until they'd turned three corners and were tucked in an alley, panting deeply.

"This could be dangerous," Ladybug muttered, frowning. "If anyone asks us the wrong question then our identities could be revealed."

Chat Noir mirrored her expression. "Not to mention our weaknesses, secrets… At least that Alya girl isn't here filming for the Ladyblog."

" _We're getting close to the latest akuma attack! My sources tell me Ladybug and Chat Noir are already at the scene! Let's just hope I can get there in time to see some of the action before they defeat the akuma!"_

Ladybug waited until Alya's voice grew quiet again before fixing Chat Noir with an unimpressed glare. "You just had to say that, didn't you?"

"Yes." Chat seemed surprised by his own answer. "Ugh. This is annoying."

"You got that right. How do we get close enough to get that locket without being asked something personal? Hawkmoth will probably get her to reveal our identities."

"Yeah. So, does that mean… if I asked you, you'd tell me who you are under the mask?" Although he was still frowning, his worried eyes turned hopeful and curious.

Ladybug sighed. "Yes, but you know how dangerous that would be. I trust you not to ask me that."

"Of course, m'lady. Cat's honour." He placed a hand on his heart and smiled. "So, what's the plan?"

"I… don't have one yet."

"THERE YOU ARE!" Soothsayer appeared at the alley entrance, practically glowing against the gloom. "Come back out and play, children. How about a game of truth or dare? I'll start – I dare you to give me your Miraculous!"

"No can do," said Chat Noir. "Besides, they'd clash with your dress."

Soothsayer surged forwards, fists raised. As well as her powers of forced truth, she had improved stamina, strength and combat skills. At one point Ladybug nearly managed to snatch the locket from her neck, but Soothsayer grabbed her arm and pin it to the brick wall. "What are you scared of, Ladybug?"

Ladybug stiffened, trying to worm her self out of Soothsayer's grip. There was an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach, like something alive was slithering through her guts. It slunk up her chest, up her throat, filling her mouth, pushing against her teeth. She tried to swallow it back down, but her body had become lead and her head was spinning and her skull was splitting open…

"Losing my abilities," she coughed. Immediately the symptoms cleared.

"Hm. Anything else?"

Chat Noir leapt onto Soothsayer's back and attempted to wrench her off of Ladybug, but the villain kicked him aside easily.

"I'll get to you, moggy. Answer the question, Ladybug."

Again, Ladybug felt the awful snake writhing in her body, trying to break out through her gritted teeth. She knew her other fear, and she knew what Soothsayer would do with the information. She had to protect him, she had to keep it inside…

Her mind was ripping apart at the seams. Her ears rang. The world faded from view. "I…" she breathed, "I am afraid that… he… won't… love me…" A gasp ripped through her.

"Who?"

"Adrien Agreste."

Soothsayer's laughter echoed through the alley. "See how much easier it is to just tell the truth?" She grinned, kicked Ladybug for good measure, then legged it away. Chat pulled Ladybug up by her arms, his grip slightly tighter than usual.

"Are you okay?"

Ladybug blinked a few times; there were dark spots in her vision. "Yeah, just a bit shaken. Come on, we have to go."

"Where?"

"To the Agreste house. She's going after Adrien; I know it. She wants to use him as leverage. Come _on!"_ Ladybug barely registered the rather uncomfortable look on Chat Noir's face before running after Soothsayer.

Chat Noir soon caught up. "Maybe we should use this opportunity to think of a plan?"

"And let her kidnap Adrien? No way," Ladybug replied. "Why would you suggest that?"

Chat Noir stumbled, and doubled over but continued running. "Because he's not at home," he wheezed.

Ladybug looked at his sharply, eyes flashing. "Where is he?"

"He's..." Chat Noir swallowed thickly. "Out."

" _Where exactly?"_

Chat paled and turned away. "Uhh… near _Rue Alasseur._ "

" _Rue Alasse-"_ Ladybug skidded to a halt. "That's here. But I don't see him… are you sure?"

Chat Noir, still pale, avoided her eyes. "You know I can't lie."

Ladybug frowned, looking between him, the street sign, and the direction Soothsayer had run in. "How do you know he's here?"

Chat Noir stared at her exasperated. "Do you have to ask all these questions?"

"No. I'm sorry. Don't answer that if you don't want to."

But Chat Noir groaned and clutched his stomach. "Too late, you've already asked it. I know because… I-" he groaned again and wretched. "Can't lie, right. Um… I know what he's thinking?"

This answer must have appeased the akuma's powers because he straightened up and sighed in relief. Ladybug wasn't convinced but she bit down the urge to ask for more clarification. She knew Chat Noir couldn't lie, and therefore he must be right in knowing that Adrien wasn't at home. "Okay," she said. "Let's think of a plan. Any ideas?"

"If we can't hear her, we can't be forced to answer her questions." Chat tapped his chin. "So if we could block our ears..."

"Good idea. Let's see if this helps… Lucky Charm!"

Ladybug flung her yo-yo up, magic spiralled, and into her awaiting hands fell…

"...A mirror? Huh."

"Why you admire yourself, I'll see if I can get to that locket." Chat grinned. "I'm getting pretty good at telling the truth without telling everything."

Chat Noir took off, with Ladybug following, mirror clutched in her hand. It was a handheld one, the size of her hand. They managed to cut Soothsayer off as she reached the gates to Adrien's house.

"Sorry, Sooth. Adrien's not h-" Chat Noir coughed. "In his house," he finished, a tad unimpressively, standing on the wrought iron fence and smirking down at her.

Soothsayer glared at him, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Where is he?"

"Um… in Paris."

"Where?"

"Outside."

"Where _specifically?"_

"About ten feet off the ground."

Soothsayer sighed dramatically. "You're a slippery cat. What's your greatest fear?"

Chat nearly fell off, his eyes bugging out. "Uhh… m-my greatest fear? Is… uh…" The effort not to talk was evident in the way he scrunched up his face, but the akuma's spell won out. "Ladybug hating me."

"That's no use to me. What else are you afraid of?"

Chat Noir screwed his eyes shut. "Being trapped."

"And who are you?"

Ladybug felt her breath freeze in her lungs. This time Chat Noir did fall off his perch and landed heavily on the pavement. "I… am Chat Noir."

"Under the mask."

"I, uhh… am a normal guy."

"What's your na-"

With a loud cry, Ladybug launched herself at Soothsayer and knocked her down before she could finish her question. "Oh no you don't!"

"I'll ask you then," Soothsayer grunted, trying to push Ladybug off. "What's your name?"

Ladybug's mouth fell open and her grip slackened, allowing Soothsayer to shove her aside and pin her to the ground. "M-my name is… M-" Ladybug clamped her mouth shut, but her body was slowly filling with something heavy and hot. "My name is… what's written on my birth certificate."

Soothsayer paused. "But what is it?"

"What my parents call me."

"And what do your parents call you?"

"My name."

"What do your friends call you?"

"Clumsy."

Soothsayer growled. "What name do they call you?"

"The one my parents gave me."

Before Soothsayer could ask anything else, Chat Noir yanked her off and held her down. "Ladybug, what's the plan?"

"Uh… oh! This!" With a gasp of realisation, Ladybug grabbed the mirror and held it in front of Soothsayer's face. Immediately the villain shut her eyes, but Ladybug managed to pry them open.

Soothsayer fell limp for a moment.

"What's your name?" Chat Noir asked.

"Elise Berger," Soothsayer replied obediently.

"Where's the akuma?"

"In…" Soothsayer flinched. She grasped her locket and croaked, "here…"

"I'll take that." Chat tried to make a grab for it, but she hissed and clutched it tighter.

"Soothsayer, what are your ten favourite fruits and why?" Ladybug asked quickly.

Soothsayer let out a small whine, like a balloon slowly deflating. "That's a stupid question," she rasped.

Ladybug gave a Chat Noir-esque grin. "And you have to answer it."

Keeping her hands firmly planted around the locket, Soothsayer sighed. "Apples and blackberries, because they remind me of England. Pears, because I like them poached in wine. Oranges because we have them at Christmas. Um… cherries and strawberries because they taste nice. How many's that?"

Ladybug hadn't been listening; instead she was trying to uncurl Soothsayer's fingers from the locket. "Not enough, keep going."

"Lemons. Limes. Mandarins. And… grapefruit. Because I just like them!"

"Favourite Disney films?" Chat Noir asked before Soothsayer could get another word in, still holding her down by the shoulders.

Soothsayer looked close to tears. "But I don't watch Disney films!" she moaned.

"You still gotta have some favourites."

"I guess… Cinderella? It's the only one I've seen."

Chat Noir smirked. "I believe I said films."

"Beauty and the Beast!" she blurted. "I like the dress."

"Okay. Now, be honest… do I look good in black?"

Ladybug glared at him. "Chat, what sort of question is that?"

"A sincere one, m'lady."

"Yes!" yelped Soothsayer. "You look amazing in black."

"For goodness' sake," Ladybug muttered. She slipped her hands to the back of Soothsayer's neck and found the clasp. Unfortunately Soothsayer realised what she was doing and made a grab for her wrists.

"Feeling insecure, cat?" Soothsayer grunted, glowering at him.

"I, uh…" He looked helplessly at Ladybug. "Sometimes…"

"There's a girl, isn't there?" A nasty smirk slid across Soothsayer's mouth when Chat nodded. "Who is she?"

Chat Noir's grip loosened. "L- no. I can't… I don't want…"

"What wrong, cat got your tongue?"

Outrage flashed across his face. "Don't make puns, that's my job!" he hissed.

"Then answer the question."

Chat Noir held her gaze for a few seconds then hung his head. "Ladybug," he whispered.

Guilt stabbed Ladybug's heart as she remembered his past confessions. Soothsayer cackled. "Aww, and doesn't she love you back?"

"No," Chat Noir mumbled miserably.

"AHA!"

With a flourish and a shout of triumph, Ladybug ripped the locket from Soothsayer's throat and sprung away, raising her fist to break the pendant. But Chat Noir left his post and hurried over to her. "Wait!"

"Chat, what is it?" Ladybug cast a wary glance at Soothsayer, who was gasping on the ground. "We have to destroy this."

"It's… I want to know, before you can lie to me." His ears had drooped and his tail was twitching slightly. "Why?"

"Why what?" Ladybug replied, but from the horrible sensation in her stomach she already knew what.

Nevertheless he clarified: "Why don't you love me?"

"Because… because there's someone else, Chat. Someone who I love too much to think about other guys like that."

Chat Noir groaned, arms falling limp at his sides. "Who is this guy, anyway!?"

Ladybug nearly dropped the locket. "He… he… Chat, you know I can't…"

Chat Noir held her gaze, his green eyes glittering. Then he turned away. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked that."

"You got that right." Ladybug fell to her knees and clutched her stomach, afraid it would burst out of her skin otherwise. "Chat Noir, the locket… break it."

He grabbed the necklace she was holding out to him, threw it to the ground and stamped on it. The akuma fluttered out, only to be snatched from the air moments later by Ladybug's yo-yo. Then Ladybug threw the handheld mirror in the air; thousands of red beetles streamed out of it to correct the world. Immediately, the nauseating writhing in her stomach ceased.

Soothsayer – or Elise Berger – was still lying in the street. Her flowing robe was now a simple blue dress and her eyes had faded to a silver-grey. "Where am I?" she mumbled, looking up as Ladybug walked over. "What happened? Did I-?"

"Yeah, but don't worry about it." Ladybug smiled and dangled the now-fixed locket in front of her. "I believe this is yours?"

Elise stared at it for a few moments that shut her eyes and sighed. "I don't want it."

"No?"

"It was from my husband, Pierre. He told me he was going out of town on business this weekend but I found out he's… he's having an affair," Elise sobbed. "I just can't believe he lied to me like that. I can't believe he loves someone else. I thought we were only meant to love one person."

The woman dissolved into tears and Ladybug quickly put her arms around her comfortingly. "I'm sorry that happened to you. Although we're only meanly to _truly_ love one person at a time, things don't always work out the way you want. Sometimes people fall in love twice. Sometimes the person you love isn't right. Sometimes they don't love you back, or they fall in love with someone else. But so can you." She was interrupted by her earrings beeping and took a few steps backward. "I have to go."

"Ladybug, wait!" Chat lunged forward and grabbed her elbow, but the words died in his throat when she looked at him.

"Chat?"

"It's… it's him, isn't it." He nodded his towards the huge manor. "He's the one."

"Chat…"

"Why don't you ask him out? I'm sure he wouldn't say no to you."

Ladybug shut her eyes and hugged her arms, turning her face away. "Because I can't like this. Yes, I'm Ladybug… but I have a life outside Ladybug as well. I get into enough trouble transforming to fight akumas. If I had to transform to see him too… and I know him as a civilian; it would be awkward." She opened her eyes, the golden sunlight made them glisten like lapis lazuli. "And he doesn't love me back as… as _me."_

"You could tell him who you are," he tried. "I mean, as a civilian. Tell him you're also Ladybug."

"I couldn't. That would only put him in danger." Ladybug took a shuddering breath. "When Soothsayer found out I loved him… she went straight for him. I couldn't forgive myself if something happened to him."

"But-" Chat began. His shoulders drooped. "I get it."

Ladybug tried to smile; it quivered on her face. "I really have to go now. Before I transform." She hesitated for a moment then enveloped Chat Noir in a quick hug before disappearing into the afternoon sun.

Chat Noir waited until she was out of sight before sighing and leaning despondently against the fence. He didn't realise Elise was still there until she placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a sad smile.

"You're in love with her."

He nodded.

"I think she had a good point. In costume… could you have a real relationship?"

"I… I guess not," Chat Noir whispered, hating the way his voice cracked.

Elise squeezed his shoulder. "People fall out of love all the time," she said. Her hand slid down his arm and pressed something into his palm. "Chin up."

She turned and left. Char Noir looked down, and a tiny silver locked glistened back.

He curled his claws around it.

* * *

 **So, I just watched Frozer. Who else wanted to throw something at the screen? I certainly did.**

 **Edit: between writing this and uploading it I watched Catalyst and Mayura. Who else wanted to hug the screen crying? What a finale!**

 **I'm currently working on two other Miraculous fanfics: both romantic (duh) and both hopefully leaning more towards comedy. It seems whenever I try to write comedy it ends up as angst/drama. But hopefully I can keep on the right genre with these! As usual I'm wanting to write them mostly in full before I upload, otherwise they will never get completed.**

 **Flare, the Frivolous~**


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